Dusty plasmas - the state of understanding from an experimentalistʹs view Original Research Article

A central question for the understanding of the dynamic and thermodynamic properties of dusty plasmas is the quantitative measurement of the charge on the dust grains and the shielding of dust grains by the plasma particles. The problems are outlined and several examples are shown how, by means of focused laser beams, these properties can be determined experimentally. The generation of attractive forces between dust particles of like charges in a non-equilibrium plasma environment is demonstrated and the implications for the solid-liquid phase transition of the plasma crystal are discussed.